MAMS ACADEMY FOR CAREER EXCELLENCE

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

ES2
Date: March 15, 2012

PHYSICS NOTES: Electric Field and charge distribution

Electric Field: A region in space where at any point inside that region any charge will experience force. To test there is field at a region by convention we place a positive very small point charge (also known as test charge) at different points. If that test charge experience any force then it means that there exist electric field in that region. It is very similar to gravitational field. If any object experiences force due to its inertia(mass) in a region then it means that there exist gravitation field in that region. All objects are attracted towards Earth because they experience force when they are in region of earths gravitational field. Field is physical quantity when it is represented as a quantity some times we call it electric field intensity or just electric field. It is a vector quantity denoted by E Direction of Electric Field at a point: Its direction is same as that of the force experience by a positive small test charge when placed at that point. Magnitude of Electric Field at a point: It is equal to the force experience by a test charge divided by the F magnitude of test charge. E = . q is the magnitude of test charge, F is the magnitude of force experience q by it. So in vector form field is E = F N . Dimensional Formula is MLT 3 A1 . SI unit is q C Who creates Electric Field: As you know Mass object creates gravitation field around itself. Similarly an Electric charge creates Electric Field around itself. Now we will see different formulas to find field.

Electric Field due to a Point charge: Consider a point charge q placed in a medium of dielectric constant r . If a test charge qo is placed at a distance r from it. Then it will experience electric force given by qq 1 2o 4 o r r F 1 q q 1 q or E = A 2 B . So, as E = we get E = 2 for vacuum or air it is F= qo q 4 o r r 4 o r r 1 q E= 2. 4 o r 1 Remember to put magnitude of q here. As it varies inversely with distance from point charge. E 2 . The r variation is shown in the plot of E vs r. Field is strongest at close distance and decreases as distance increases becomes zero at infinity. Electric Field due to Many Point Charges: If there exist number of point charges in space then the electric field at a point is the combined effect of the point charges. If charges q1 , q2 ,...qN are located in space then electric field at a point is given by

E = E1 + E2 + ... + EN , where E1, E2, EN are the field due to charges q1,q2,qN at that point . Remember field is a vector quantity so vector laws are used to find resultant field.

Uniform and Non-Uniform Electric Field: If in a region field at all the points is same both in magnitude as well as direction then uniform field exist in that region. If at different points field is different or varies in region such that its magnitude or direction or both varies then non uniform field exist in that region. For example if along a straight line direction of filed is same but magnitude increases. Then field is non uniform. In vector form E = Ex i + E y j + E z k here X, Y and Z components may be a function of time of position will be cleared by solving questions. Electric Charge Distribution: The charge distribution means continuous existence of charge in medium or vacuum. Linear Charge Distribution: Consider a uniform rod of mass M, then mass is uniformly distributed along the length of the rod (linear). Similarly if charges are placed along straight line we call it linear charge distribution. Linear charge density denoted by SI unit C/m. q dq and inst . = avg = dl l Surface Charge Distribution: If along surface charge exists then it is surface charge distribution, surface may be plane, spherical, curved etc. Surface charge density denoted by q dq and inst . = SI unit C/m2. avg = dA A Volume Charge Distribution: For a solid sphere we say mass is distributed throughout the volume(volume mass distribution). Similarly if charge exists throughout the matter body we say volume charge distribution. Volume charge density is q dq denoted by and avg = and inst . = V dV

NOTE: In coming lectures we will find electric Field due and electric potential (discussed later) due to charge distribution. Gauss theorem is also explained using this.